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Thai democracy protesters defy ban for fourth day
BANGKOK, Oct 18, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – Thousands of pro-democracy protestors
took over a major Bangkok intersection on Sunday with posters bearing the
faces of arrested activists, defying a ban on gatherings and stern warnings
from authorities who have escalated a crackdown in recent days.
The youth-led movement has suffered several blows this week, with scores
arrested after demonstrators surrounded a royal motorcade and flashed a pro-
democracy salute to Queen Suthida during a Wednesday protest.
The government reacted by imposing “serious” emergency measures banning
gatherings of more than four and allowing for the arrest of protest leaders,
many of whom are calling for the removal of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha,
a former military chief first brought to power in a 2014 coup.
Police also deployed water cannon against unarmed demonstrators on Friday
in Bangkok’s central shopping district in an escalation of tactics that drew
outrage across Thai society.
But the crackdown has emboldened the movement’s mostly young supporters who
have turned up in large numbers to daily guerrilla protests around Bangkok.
The locations are announced an hour before to outwit authorities, who shut
down much of the city’s Skytrain and underground rail services to discourage
people from joining in.
“I cannot let the students fight alone,” said 24-year-old Phat, a first-
time rallygoer who arrived at Sunday’s protest venue at Bangkok’s Victory
Monument.
“I want true democracy,” he told AFP.
Thousands descended on the major traffic thoroughfare from 4:00 pm (0900
GMT) shouting “Free our friends” while carrying posters of arrested
activists.
They include human rights lawyer Anon Numpa, Parit “Penguin” Chiwarak, and
Panusaya “Rung” Sithijirawattanakul — three of the most recognisable faces
in the leaderless movement who have consistently called for reforms to the
monarchy.
Among their demands is the abolition of a draconian royal defamation law —
which shields King Maha Vajiralongkorn from criticism — and a call for the
monarch to stay out of the country’s turbulent politics.
Once-taboo in Thailand, the issue of royal reform demanded by protesters is
one of the biggest challenges facing the kingdom’s conservative military-
aligned government.
The social media-savvy protesters have also harnessed unorthodox ways of
spreading their messages, sending alerts through newly formed groups on
Telegram — a secure messaging app — and taken tips from Hong Kong’s pro-
democracy protests.
Across town in Asok, a popular shopping and restaurant district, a smaller
group of protesters gathered and practiced hand signals to warn each other if
authorities were to issue another severe crackdown.
“I think the government used too severe of measures against students on
Friday, they were just kids with empty hands,” said 65-year-old Suk. “All
they had were their mobile phones.”
National Police spokesman Yingyos Thepjumnong warned protesters earlier
Sunday that no rallies “causing unrest and disorder” would be allowed.
“If they defy it, police will do whatever is necessary to enforce the law,”
he said.
BSS/AFP/ARS/1823 hrs